Faux Real Color Blocking: Looks for Less

How have your New Year resolutions been going? Hitting the gym daily? Twice a day? Cut out all alcohol? Chocolate? Junk Food? No. Yea… me either. Well, my friends the color block is here to hide a bevvy of spots, and create new curves that your Pilates instructor only warned you about.

The lady like sheath dress has a cut a place for itself as a fashion must-have on everyone from Victoria Beckham to Michelle Obama, but this past fall Kate Winslet with a lot of help from Stella McCartney turned the volume up on the sheath to take it from lady to vamp.

Kate Winslet in the Stella McCartney Octavia Dress - Us Weekly

The Octavia dress has been referred to by stylists as a girdle, and being capable of holding everything in the right spot, while also visually creating the illusion of a very svelte hourglass. All of this nipping and tucking when Stella McCartney is your fabric surgeon comes with a price, and no insurance won’t cover it… So we look for the look for less.

The first “save” option is from Evan Piccone (at Macy’s). While not quite as va-va-voom as the Octavia is cuts a slim figure with the color blocked side panels and is probably the best bet for a day time look.

Evan Piccone Dress

In the “splurge” category is the Asher Paneled Dress by VPL. Taking inspiration from a slip and underpinnings this is definitely a younger and sexier style, but is balanced by a casual fabric in stretch terry. In this case the panels are more subtle and accomplish the same knockout curves.

VPL Asher Dress

In the “savings account” category we have the Octavia, but also the Color Block Sheath Dress by Jason Wu. I actually like the Jason Wu dress better, the geometry in the paneling feels modern to me, but if you’ve got “savings account” to play with it’s an easy guarantee that either dress would turn heads.

Jason Wu Colorblock Dress

Would you wear this shape-shifting dress? And is it something you would be willing to splurge on?